Pendulum || TAENNIE FF

⚔Chapter 9: The clock struck twelve

A U T H O R 

"This is ridiculous!" Heather exclaimed. She was already turning red. "You should've checked before you abducted me here." 

"Hey! First of all, I didn't abduct you. I took you here out of pure sympathy. Second, I didn't know they had plans of moving the dates." He explained while walking back and forth. "That darn woman." 

"What dates are you talking about? I demand to know. A few minutes ago, I was chased by an assassin, went inside a glowing clock, now you're telling me I'm locked in here? What else?!" 

"Listen. The clock only opens at the end of the school year and closes when it begins. The school head probably changed the dates without telling the students." He explained and looked at her face. Heather seemed to not understand anything. "What? That's the longest explaining I did for seventeen years. I-" He sighed and sat on a log. 

"I must be dreaming. Right? You're not real and so is this place. I mean, it's clearly a product of my imagination!" He glared at her and grabbed a white round fruit from the ground. "What are you doing?" 

"Stay still." He said and threw the fruit at her shoulder, splashing it all over her chest area and under her chin. 

Heather was left frozen and wide-eyed. "What have you done?!" She also grabbed a yellow fruit beside her and aimed it at the stranger guy. He quickly stood up and ran away but ended up slipping and falling into the water. 

Instead of throwing it at him, Heather dropped the fruit and laughed. He swam to the surface and was about to give her a piece of his mind when they heard a loud trumpet sound. "Oh no... We have to get out of here." 

Before Heather could ask him why, he pulled her towards a grassy pathway. "What's happening? What was that?" 

"Magfiers. They search every inch of Parailla every sundown for any creature using his powers. It's against the rules ever since the new head of the school came. They probably sensed me using mine." He pulled her behind a big rock that's covered with thick, green vines. 

"And if they see me?" He looked at her worried face. "What will happen?"

"They won't." He said and checked if the magfiers were coming. Indeed they were. They are soldiers wearing a sky blue uniform with black laces and buttons. They also have pointed, silver spears and a tall hat. They were marching in unison. The two kept their lips sealed and didn't move an inch.

When they were gone, he quickly pulled her away and went in the opposite direction. "What happens now? What's your plan? Do I really have to stay here and wait for the school year to end?" They were walking on a rocky path this time. "My family will think I'm dead."

"I don't have any idea right now. I just need to make sure you return there alive and in one piece." 

Heather was about to ask again when she suddenly stepped on something sharp. She screamed in pain but he quickly covered her mouth and pulled her to an open cave. It was dark with only the drowning sun giving off light. "Is this blood?" Heather quietly asked while looking at her foot. "Holy shivers, it's blood..!"

He checked under her foot and found bits of white crystal-like stones. "Why do you always get yourself in trouble the moment you got here?" He knelt down and placed her foot on his one knee. Heather wanted to protest and say the rules but no one else was there to help her but him. "Don't scream." He said and started taking out those rocks one by one.

Heather bit her lip to keep herself quiet or the magfiers will come at them. The young man then tore a part of his black shirt and used it to cover her wound. "I-I don't think that's necessary." But he didn't listen and tore another.

"Arm." He said, asking her to let him treat her wound. "If I don't do this, you'll lose a lot of blood. Taking you to the town healers is risky. They'll know you're a human in an instant." Heather, being a smart girl, knew about it too. She pushed aside her stubbornness and rolled up her sleeves so he could bind her cut. 

She looked at his serious face and thought he looked familiar. "Will it be okay if I ask who you are?" He raised his head to face her. Now, their faces were only inches away from each other. Realizing this, the boy quickly moved away and sat beside her. 

"We met several times but maybe you didn't recognize me." Heather furrowed her brows. I knew it! I definitely saw him somewhere. I just can't put my finger on it. "The first time was eight years ago in the basement." She suddenly got flashbacks of that incident in the basement years ago. The TV turning on, the snack falling off the couch, and,

"The clock was open. You mean you left this place back then and and you were the ghost in the basement? The one who received the rainbow snacks I gave? That...That was you?" He looked down and nodded. "Then, that means you were also the one who unlocked the door on my birthday."

"I saw what your cousin did. I just thought you shouldn't be upset on your own day." Heather brushed her hair back in disbelief. 

"I can't believe this. I don't believe this..! You were also the one who caught me from falling down the stairs?" He nodded again. "You gave me that rainbow snacks gift. You also gave me the muffins-- Wait." He looked at her and wondered. "Crooked Clown Cory?! You were that weird kid?!"

"Please don't call me that. Everyone in your school was disgusted every time they saw me. And your friend Levi was the worst. I never touched a single strand of his hair but he had the pleasure of humiliating and beating me up. I just wanted to feel what humans feel." He sadly said. "And you were one of those who wanted me to go away, surprisingly. Definitely different from the kid years ago."

This time, it was Heather's turn to look down in shame. "I guess. A lot of things happened and I just can't be the kind and innocent kid before. I already let that side of me go." I...I grew up."

They were silent for a few seconds. Then he spoke. "Firo." He said, getting Heather's attention. "My name's Firo Kang."

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Firo's first introduction!!🥳 You guys were saying it could be Flake and I wanted to say it's not BUT I thought it would be nice to surprise everyone🤭 Did I succeed or..?😅 

Flake's character will be revealed in a few chaps. The conflict will also be revealed in the following chapters. I want to highlight Firo and Heather for now. It's a fair competition afterall and tell you what, I'm gonna have to imagine two sides of Taehyung for this😆

I hope you guys liked the chapter!! I'm not sleepy now so Imma read your comments! I miss this acccckkk🙈✨